


Where The Wolves Dwell

by GwenScathach



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, F/M, For the most part at least, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, IDK who else might i tag, eventually romance, friendship is raree do you know what I'm saying to you friendship is rareee, might not be spoiler-free, wtf are these tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-03-25 14:31:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3814027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GwenScathach/pseuds/GwenScathach
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"They also knew little about her. More than in the beginning when she showed up in that miraculous stance on the Temple of Sacred Ashes’ ruins as the sole survivor, but her background still remaining a mystery as a whole."</p><p>Drabbles about the Herald of Andraste and how her companions view her. Following canon events but not necessarily in chronological order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Easier to be feared than loved

\------Varric's POV----------

Night was closing in on the Hinterlands’ refugee camp. 

Despite that and having most of them gone for the night, there was still activity there, as Inquisition soldiers patrolled the area constantly with a watchful eye, still wary of the recent attacks of rogue mages and templars. They had just recently secured the area for the refugees there when they arrived that morning, but they weren’t still exactly safe - their problems just were being lessened, and only by the slightest.

Besides the warming fire of their own camp, above the closest hill next to the refugees’, Varric had been observing them, for a lack of a better thing to do. The trip from Haven had been exhausting, their energies almost consumed by the time they arrived there to meet with that Mother Giselle. Not that his companions’ moods had been improving the gloomy atmosphere, despite his best efforts. He knew he had already lost that battle with Cassandra, and even if Solas provided from time to time with interesting conversations, he wasn’t exactly the liveliest of them (suddenly the nickname he gave the elf being more ironic than he originally intended), most of the time keeping whatever thoughts he might had to himself.

And then there was the newly appointed ‘Herald of Andraste’.

Varric didn’t know what to make of her. She was even more silent and curtly than Solas and had a dourest behaviour than Cassandra, if that was even possible. He understood the latest events were probably too much for the poor soul to assimilate, but after she closed that rift that made the Breach to stop its expansion (and thus gaining that title from the villagers in Haven, the same people that had condemned her just some moments before), the dwarf hadn’t hear her make a single complaint. Or speak more than a few phrases, even. The Seeker had been praising her determination and will to set things right from the very beginning, but at best, what Varric could read on her was leaning more on the side of irritated resignation, dragged into this mess as she has been, unfortunately for her, on the center of it. 

They also knew little about her. More than in the beginning when she showed up in that miraculous stance on the Temple of Sacred Ashes’ ruins as the sole survivor, but her background still remaining a mystery as a whole.

She was Dalish, that was clear enough because of the indigo markings etched on her face, making a stark contrast on her pale skin. She also confessed on her own volition to have assisted to the Conclave because her clan sent her to ‘gather information’ about what was happening there. In other words, a spy, and not a very good one if she had openly admitted it, but she also added, with a deadpan expression that seemed to be her default one as far as he had seen, that they would have found about it sooner than later, and that she doubted she would be returning to her clan soon, if not at all. She was a mage as well, like Solas, although she seemed to be focusing more on offensive magic. If he remembered things right, she should had been the First to her clan, just like Merrill was to hers right before she was cast out. They both might had even been the same age, even if that was hard to tell with elves. But, even if she had her moments and secrecy, Daisy had been much easier to approach than her. He was lucky to get out of her more than two words at best, all of them polite and distant. 

But he knew, even if she wouldn’t say it as it was, that she hated, or at least, strongly disliked the title the humans bestowed upon her without any consent of her own. She insisted, every time Cassandra or Solas or himself addressed to her, to be called by her given name. Athame of the clan Lavellan. And here he thought he was done with anything that had to do with the Dalish. Far from it. 

Varric saw her approach to the fire camp past the line of scouts that were warding it and saluted her, not paying them any more attention than a single nod, and taking a seat next to him without saying a word. He couldn’t figure out her expression with that cowl covering her head and her face for the most time, but he could tell she was just as tired as the rest of them. It had been a busy day, sealing rifts and heeding the needs and complaints of the refugees. 

“About time you showed up!”, he exclaimed, a nonchalant grin on his face. Varric knew she had been off for a while to get a moment to herself which was surprisedly respected by everyone else, including Cassandra. He still was trying to get anything out of her other than curt nods and short phrases, and being friendly was the best stance to get those; he would know about that. Maybe if he did his best and poke around just a bit more he could get somewhere. Like where did she get that bow that carried with her, instead of her staff. “What were you up to?”

“Not an escape plan”, came her answer in something close to a whisper, her head cocking just a bit to the side to let him watch her expression in the dark for a while. The dwarf’s smile didn’t falter in the slightest. Dry humor. Better than nothing, he supposed.

“Like I told you in Haven, I wouldn’t have blamed you for it, but somehow I doubt you would. You wouldn’t have left most, if not all, your belongings here, if that was the case”, he let out a quiet laugh. The elf shrugged in response. Below her cowl, her eyes shone out for a while, searching the camp for someone else.

“Where are Cassandra and Solas?”

“Went to their respective tents for sleeping. Cassandra just left, actually. She wanted to keep guard, but I told her I would take care of it”, Varric answered, doing his best to keep his voice low as a reminder for himself. He had seen personally how grumpy the Seeker was in the mornings and it would be for the best if she didn’t blame him for her lack of sleep in the end. He wasn’t as worried to awake Solas, though. As far as he had seen, the apostate slept soundlessly. Lucky bastard. “I think she might have been a bit worried that you wouldn’t return, somehow.”

“She thought I would leave? Just like that?”, Athame sounded a bit bewildered on her calm response, and Varric let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. So she had feelings still, after all. It was good to know.

“No. I think she was more concerned that something could happen to you while we weren’t there. I know, I know, you’re a powerful mage, a Dalish one at that, and you seem perfectly capable of defending yourself… still, venturing there on your own while it’s dark? What were you thinking?” Varric shaked his head. He couldn’t help to sound a bit concerned himself.

“It’s not the first time I do something of the sorts”, she informed him matter-of-factly, eyes on the now dying fire in front of them. “As you said, I’m capable to look out for myself on the wilderness just fine. Besides, if I were missing for too long, I think the scouts would find me quickly, if they are as good as they claim to be.”

“Yeah, of course, we can’t afford to lose our Herald now.” Varric saw the lower lip of Athame curling down in a scowl, and realized it was exactly the worst thing to say, so he tried to rectify quickly. “Not when we’ve just barely met, you see. That’s just plainly rude.”

“I won’t die without closing some rifts first, Varric, don’t worry.”

“Well. That’s a fucking relief.” He sighed. He was getting nowhere like that. “Let’s hope you live more than that, right? You haven’t answered my question, by the way.”

The Dalish sat straight, letting her cowl fall of her head at last. Her hair, white and most of the times tied in a clean ponytail, looked a bit undone now, so she tried her best to fix it. 

“Which one?” Again, the calm voice while answering. It was beginning to feel a bit maddening.

“Well… all of them, while we’re at it. But let’s start with… What were you up to, alone in the woods, so close to nightfall, with just a bow?” Varric pointed out, raising his eyebrows. “I didn’t even know you were able to use one at all. Is it yours?” He somehow doubted it.

“No. I will have to return it in the morning. I borrowed it from a refugee who couldn’t use it”, Athame said with another shrug. “I asked for him, but he was asleep and recovering from his wounds and I didn’t want to disturb.”

“Okay, right. But why a bow…?”

“For hunting”, she simply answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Varric blinked twice. He couldn’t believe it.

“For… hunting”, he repeated, taken a bit aback by the response. He was starting to think this girl was a bit sound in the head. Maybe it was the Fade thing. Maybe it was that most Dalish were a bit insane. Honestly, he couldn’t know.

“That’s what I’ve said.”

“It’s mostly dark now.”

“Not that I mind”, she pointed at her natural glowing-in-the-dark eyes, making her point. “Besides, I can see best when the sun is not in its highest. You may have noticed by now direct, bright light bothers me a bit.”

“Yeah, I did” She couldn’t even look at the Breach directly, as he recalled. “But really, hunting? Like, you thought right now was exactly the best time to hunt…? Okay, you obviously did, don’t answer that”, Varric sighed, raising his hands a bit to point out he gave up. It was not exactly his business what that girl did on her free time actually, just that he didn’t expect it. “What did you hunt? You didn’t take your kill with you…”

“It wasn’t for me. Or for us”, she told him, looking at him in the eye. Now he could see how people said she looked a bit unnerving. Her appearance and her behaviour didn’t helped things much, but he could handle unnerving just fine. Most of the times, anyway. He still had the feeling that girl - woman, he didn’t know- was so out of her element as himself, or even more. As much as that bothered him, he had a knack for that kind of people. For helping them. The past proved him as much, at least. “It was for the refugees. That hunter. He told us earlier they needed food. I don’t know whether we would have the time to do that during the day, so I thought now was the best time.”

“Fair enough”, Varric found himself smiling at her once more. Even if she was a bit weird, she showed signs of a good heart anyway. “If that was what you intended to do, though, you could have told me. Bianca would have been more than happy to help, as well.” He patted his crossbow at his side fondly. “And two pair of eyes see more than one.”

She continued staring at him, not even blinking. She didn’t look very impressed, or at least that was what he thought he could read in the dark. “I thank you for the offer, but, do you hunt often, Varric?”

“Uh… no, I can’t say I do, honestly.” His voiced failed him a bit, to her credit. Athame sighed.

“Then it has been for the best you didn’t come. As efficient as your crossbow might be, the sound of it firing might have scared the rams. The task would have been more difficult to complete then.”

“Auch.” The dwarf took a hand to his chest in an over dramatical motion, starting to laugh because of her honesty. Then he shut himself out quickly, reminding himself that everybody else was sleeping. “Okay, I suppose that’s true. It’s the first time I hear of a mage with hunting skills, anyway. I would ask if it is a Dalish thing, but I don’t recall Daisy telling me anything of the sort. Plus, she wasn’t too good at the hunting part…”

“I began training with the bow long before magic was found on me”, she explained, and while she did so, she look a bit more relaxed. “My father taught me, he was a hunter. He told me skills like this were useful to have in life, regardless of what our roles in our clan might be. And later on, I found out he was right. I still prefer to use it while I’m not fighting. Using magic is not as efficient for hunting.”

“I see. Well, aren’t you full of surprises, Whispers”, Varric chucked, satisfied with the answer. He even found his nickname for her and everything. On the spot, actually. As silent as she was, it seemed fit. He would remind himself to give some pats on his own back later. “Just don’t tell the others just yet, they might decide you have too many tricks up your sleeve for your own good and won’t ever- ah, never mind” He gave up, seeing as she was looking at him with that confused look again. “I just mean it’s nice to know something else about you, you know. As you don’t talk much. You need to open up a bit more every now and then. I know you can’t help to be the way you are, but…”

“But?” Athame frowned again. He felt her closing in again, and thought he was losing all the progress he intended to build with her.

“But it could help you cope better with this entire thing, maybe” the dwarf sighed, anticipating near defeat. He didn’t know if she would agree with that. Probably not. He didn’t lose anything by trying. “You don’t have to be on your own anymore, you know. There are others here. To help you with whatever you need, whenever you need. Also, you may not like it, and it may sound like crazy… I know it is, but there are already people looking up to you. For what you can do. They might be reassured that all you want to do is help, provided you don’t… close yourself so much to them, anyway.”

The mage didn’t say anything for a while, like she was thinking about what she could say next, but he could tell by her look she wasn’t liking the way the conversation was turning up to.

“You want me to open myself more to them. Like that’s so easy.”

“I’m not saying that has to be easy at all”, he didn’t fail to notice the lingering bitterness in her voice. “I’m just saying it could help you. And them. They are scared, Athame, scared of all this situation, of whether this world is going to end or not. And they might be a bit scared of you, as well. It’s up to you how they perceive you, at the end of the day.”

Even if the fire camp was extinguishing out and it began to be only embers, Varric couldn’t miss the sour expression the elf’s face took. Her scowl deepened a bit, before she decided to stand up.

“Let them be scared, then. Fear is useful”, she said coolly. “Fear keeps you on guard for what’s to come. There is nothing wrong with a bit of it. I’m more used to be feared than foolishly worshipped as if I were some kind of goddess, anyway, and I’d rather keep it like that.”

The venom her words dripped had left him paralyzed, with nothing clever to say for the moment. He wasn’t really expecting that. In fact, he didn’t know what to expect at all. Maybe some defensiveness, but not like that. Athame took that as a way to end their conversation. With a curtly nod, she said something about retiring for the night under her breath, and walked up to one of the tents that weren’t being used. Leaving him again alone with his thoughts. Wondering what kind of life that girl might have had to keep her thinking like that.

In any case, he knew for sure now there wasn’t just indifference on her about the subject, not really. Just a veneer of calm, a mask.

And masks could be removed at its given time. He just had spotted a crack.


	2. Just a simple request

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After what it seemed like ages, here is next update! W00t! 
> 
> Note that I've changed the Keeper of clan Lavellan's gender - it's male now, and I refer to him as Deshan. As why I do this, is because I thought when I first played Inquisition that the Keeper was a man. Of course, then I saw they were a woman, but I decided to keep it like that, as a male Keeper is something that it isn't shown as often in the Dragon Age series and I wanted that for a change. That's about the only thing I've changed about game's canon. 
> 
> Now onto the chapter. It's Josephine's turn. ;3

——Josephine’s POV——–

The recently named Ambassador to the Inquisition leaned away from her desk for a while, looking at the pile of letters she had yet to read with a sigh. 

So much work to do these days, and it didn’t seem it would end any time soon. Of course, that meant good news for them, at least. As word from the Herald of Andraste and her deeds was spreading fast throughout Ferelden and Orlais, more people were heading en masse to Haven to see for themselves what was this Inquisition like. Some of them stayed enough to join them. There wasn’t a day in which they didn’t receive some man or woman claiming the Herald sent them to become agents for the Inquisition, or wanting to join the ever growing army. It was a start for their very precarious beginnings, and everyone had to be thankful. Every effort made to advance their cause was worth it and very needed.

As for Josephine herself, she couldn’t complain. Everything was working out better than she could ever hope for. Of course, as soon they solved some problem in one place, two or three more would rise somewhere else, but that was expected. Everyone was working hard to see they could face any inconvenience they would encounter. Especially the Herald.

Josephine couldn’t help but pity her, although she would keep herself from letting that be known. Leliana was the only one who knew about her concerns about the Dalish elf that was made their symbol and banner, reluctantly from her part, of course. She saw she was responding well enough to what was expected from her, never seeing anything conflicting about her behaviour. Not a word out of place, not threats or violent outbursts - nothing but silent agreement. Like if she was resigning herself to the fate that seemed to be in store for her. Whatever it may be.

She had tried to reach out to her a couple of times, see if she could do anything to help her in any way. It didn’t seem to work very well. The elf, even if polite, was kept to herself most of the time, and only spoke when she felt it was needed. Her social interactions seemed to be improving slowly but surely, nevertheless. Josephine saw her a couple of times talking to some people in Haven, and to some of her companions as well. The Antivan thought it was best if nobody would force her efforts and leave her be as much as it was able. After all, she could imagine how hard could it be for her, being alone in an environment she wasn’t used to, with strange people that didn’t understand her at all. Even Minaeve, the apprentice who studied the beasts and creatures the Inquisition encountered on their travels, who was Dalish in origin as well, didn’t seem to empathize much with her either when the Herald approached her, looking for a bit of companionship. It made her feel quite sad for her, in all honesty.

Actually, she was very surprised when she saw the door of the little office she kept on the Haven opened and Athame entered, walking straight to her desk. Trying to not present herself as confused as she was at the moment, Josephine stood herself straight and greeted her with a warm smile. Her bard training still was serving her well, after all those years.

“Mistress Lavellan! Is there anything I can do for you?” She was sure to not address her by her title. It was well known on the Inner Circle of the Inquisition she despised it. Not that it stopped Cassandra and others from using it, though.

“Actually, it is” She answered with a short nod, as if acknowledging the effort made. “It’s about the letter you received from my Keeper a couple of days ago. I have considered the choices you’ve offered me and I want your agents to take part on this.”

“Oh! Very well. I shall see this done immediately” As understanding dawned on her face, the Ambassador grinned and nodded as well. Then she looked to the elf’s pinkish eyes, despite how… eerie everyone said they looked. She deserved that much respect. “May I ask what was that made you consider my offer? If I recall, Leliana’s was as good as mine, if not better”

“Leliana’s agents have too much on their hands already”, Athame replied matter-of-factly, though something else in her voice indicated the human woman there was anything else she wouldn’t tell. “I won’t bother them to ask them to meet with my clan, as things are. Your option was, as you said, as good as hers, so I prefer you look into it instead.”

“Fair enough. It’s not my intention to question your judgement, mind you. I was just a bit curious, that’s all”, Josephine reassured her. “We will send clan Lavellan a message back as swiftly as possible, rest assured. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, thank you.” However, the elf interrupted herself, seemingly in thought for a second before she turned towards her once more. “Actually… I’d ask for a favour, if you don’t mind.” She sounded a bit uncertain while saying it.

“If it’s within my reach, certainly. What is it?” The Antivan tried to encourage her with kindness, something she thought she would appreciate. Athame noticed it and eased herself almost instantly, looking back at her.

“If you could… if you could tell your scribe to put on the letter that clan Lavellan’s First sends her best wishes to Keeper Deshan and everyone else, and if they would be so kind to send back with the response some spares of embrium and wax, I would appreciate it. And send this with the letter, as well” After that, she took off from her finger a wooden ring and handled it to her, much to Josephine’s astonishment.

“Of… Of course. It would be no problem” The Antivan woman looked puzzled at the ring, then back at the elf, who stared back at her, probably wondered if there wasn’t indeed any problem with her request as she said. It wasn’t, but she had to admit it was a bit peculiar. Curiosity won over her, and so, she asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, mistress Lavellan, why sending them the ring back? Is there any meaning to this?”

“It is. With this, they will know as soon as they receive the message that it comes from me and they will treat your emissary fairly”, she told her. “Keeper Deshan is a reasonable man, but I can’t say the same of some of our hunters, so please tell whoever you decide to send to watch their steps nevertheless. Also…” she interrupted herself though, falling silent almost immediately, as she regretted it. Well, that did no good to her curiosity, for sure.

“Yes?”

“The Keeper gave me that ring before I was sent to the Conclave”, after some seconds, Athame decided to tell her. “He told me that, when I would come back to them, he would make me his successor. But with things as they are, I believe that won’t be possible anymore. That’s why I’m giving it back.”

“I see.” Josephine felt a pang of guilt upon asking that, but she did as she could to discard it. What was done was done, after all. “Do you wish to go back to your clan? When all this is over, of course.”

“Yes. No.” Athame sighed with slight irritation, but the human felt it wasn’t aimed towards her or her question. She slouched a bit, looking down for some moments. “I doubt it would be that easy for this to end so soon, regardless of what I want. It’s clear enough that I’m the only one who can fix this mess, at the moment. I won’t leave, if only because of that. I don’t like to leave things hanging.”

“But if you could, would you?”

“I would.” She took her time to answer, but when she did, there wasn’t uncertainty in her voice anymore. “For years I was preparing to lead my clan when it was time. Being Keeper is the greatest honor I could receive. And my duty to my people. I wouldn’t turn my back on them when they needed it.”

Josephine nodded, although she felt something about what she said was wrong. As if it was some prepared speech she learned to say over and over to convince herself. Of course she could be mistaken about that. Still the sensation couldn’t go away. Especially if, if she remembered correctly when she asked the elf about it last time, she said most of her clan ignored her at best.

“And that is what you want? To become Keeper for your clan?”

“Yes.” Athame sounded annoyed this time, and that’s when she knew she pushed the matter too far. “That would be all, messere Montilyet. Unless you want to ask me something else?”

She means to intrude into her personal space, Josephine realized, smiling sheepishly as a means of apologizing for it. She believed she hadn’t act wrong as she did, though, but it didn’t hurt to step back. As she said, she didn’t want to push the elf further.

“Nothing else. Please forgive me if I offended you in any way”, she told the Herald without faltering. “I didn’t intend to. I will tell the scribe what you told me for the message, and will inform you as soon as I have any news.”

“Thank you. And…” She appeared for a moment to be as embarrassed as herself felt, or even more. “You didn’t offend me. Sorry if I sounded defensive.”

“You have every right to”, Josephine told Athame with ease. “I can understand you are still getting familiar with this situation. With each of us. However, remember that we are at your side, mistress Lavellan. To assist you whenever you need. I can’t ask you to trust us instantly, however. That is something that takes time.”

“I’m working on it”, the elf promised, and the ambassador swore to see a hint of an uneasy smile on her face, mirroring her own. “Ma serannas… Josephine.”

“It is no trouble. Whenever you need it”, the Antivan resisted the urge to laugh at her own former embarrassment rather than at hers, and simply bowed at her, something Athame returned before turning back to the door. When she left, Josephine relaxed back to her chair, with a relieved smile. Perhaps it was true their Herald was adapting. It was a start, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elvish (canon):
> 
> Ma serannas : Thank you.

**Author's Note:**

> Welp. This is the first time I publish a fanfic in here. In a language that isn't my native one. So please please go easy on me.
> 
> As you may have noticed by now, these are going to be mostly ficlets rather than full chapters. They are going to contain mostly impressions of my Lavellan from her companions and advisors(one character per chapter usually), and perhaps impressions from my Lavellan's POV. Sooo nothing really world-shattering, but something I really wanted to do. It is canon compliant, except that I'm not going to paraphrase actual in-game conversations, rather than making mentions to them. 
> 
> It will contain Solavellan, to be sure. But it will build slowly. Like. Reaally slow. So if you're hoping for the immediate romance, you'll have to wait a bit.
> 
> Aaand nothing else, for now. Hope you like this and the format is right and everything else. I appreciate any advice you may have in the matter.


End file.
